mikeb7

Below are a couple of pictures of the upper oil cooler line heading into the radiator.

Problem is, it can no longer be tightened because the hard elbow (D) rotates with B and C when you try to tighten it and the hose then hits the frame rail.

I assume this should be a swivel joint? I've tried getting something to move before but no luck. It's soaking again now (PBBlaster and Deep Creep), and I may apply a little judicious heat.

My question is, assuming it is a swivel, what should I be trying to get to move?
A is the nut on the radiator itself. Currently B, C, and D all rotate as one.
Should the elbow D move in relation to C?
Or should C move in relation to B?
And I assume A on the radiator should not rotate?

17prospective buyer

It's just a DIN fitting which is basically just like any flare seal, except it's more like a sphere that seats against a female flare, so the flare nut or "C" should rotate independently of the metal pipe to an extent. Because of the friction between the nut and the seat of the pipe both are turning, use a wrench and try a sharp impact instead of constant pressure. It should just break free and be loose. Counterhold on the "B" nut while doing this. A sharp hit with a decently heavy mallet on the wrench will loosen it where shear muscle force couldn't do it. To have both hands free to hold the wrench and swing the mallet, you could just brace the other wrench on something. Put a block of wood between whatever it's bracing against to avoid damaging the body.

Kevin in Atlanta

You are counter holding B to loosen C, right?

jcorenman

Edit: ^^^ What those guys said, except for the bit about the mallet... If it resists, use Kroil or some other penetrating oil between the hose-fitting nut and the adapter.

"A" is the nut the secures one end of the oil cooler to the radiator end-tank, and should not rotate.

"B" is an adapter between the oil cooler and the hose fitting. It should also not rotate, and must be counter-held with a second wrench to prevent rotation. It should stay tight (and sealed) to the oil-cooler.

"C" is the nut on the hose flare-fitting "D", and rotates (lefty-loosey) to detach the hose from the adapter "B". This is the only nut that should rotate.

I think the problem is that the nut "C" is stuck to the adapter "B". If you loosen the hose fitting without counter-holding the adapter with a second wrench, then the adapter comes out with the hose fitting.

The fix is to go ahead and remove the hose fitting and adapter together, then separate them with two wenches, then re-install the adapter to the cooler. I don't recall whether it has an o-ring or just sealer, but that should become apparent when you get it apart.

And keep the oil passages clean.

Kevin in Atlanta

There is an old mechanic's trick that you position the open wrenches on the nuts so that you squeeze them together to loosen and later tighten them.

mikeb7

Exactly - B rotates with C.
So ultimately I first have to move C relative to B. I could then tighten B back onto A as it should be, and with the B-C pressure relieved, maybe finally get C to move on D?

17prospective buyer

You can position them so you just squeeze together but this wasn't enough torque last time I remember taking one of those hoses off. Don't see any harm using sharp impact to break them loose, just don't be an idiot about it and you won't damage anything.

jcorenman

Correct, which requires two wrenches. What 86_5 said is the correct way to do it, orient the wrench handles so that you can squeeze them together to loosen. That way you won't bust your knuckles, and you won't be stressing the cooler or the plastic side tank.

Correct, once the flare nut (C) is loose on the fitting B, then the nut should also be loose on the oil line (D).

The only catch here is that I don't recall how the fitting seals to the cooler, I think it is a tapered thread which may want to be cleaned up with some sealant.

Are you pulling the oil line completely, or just trying to get the fan assembly out?

jcorenman

The whole point is to not stress whatever the fitting is attached to (the oil cooler and plastic end-tank, in this case). Lots of force is fine, as long as there is an equal and opposite counter-force. So a pair of long wrenches, or short wrenches with "cheaters", is fine-- but if it comes to that then take time out for penetrating oil, and for a few well-chosen curses towards whoever over-tightened them. (Flare fittings do not need a lot of torque).

If you can figure out how to beat on it without stressing the cooler or plastic end-tank, then have at it. The problem is that your idea of a "sharp impact" with a mallet is going to be completely different from the next guy's, and you can't counter-hold a mallet.

There are places where a measured "whack" can work wonders-- screws threaded into aluminum for example, to break the corrosion (think water-pump screws), but I don't think this is one of them.

17prospective buyer

Different strokes. It is pretty dumb when people overtorque everything though. Based on experience working in shops I would say that 90% of generic technicians out there overtorque most fasteners. TPMS collar nuts is a perfect example, many of them break due to being ridiculously overtorqued. The spec for Chrysler TPMS stems for example is only 12 in lbs, yet nearly every person I saw that installed them reefed on them. The air pressure will do the rest, just need enough torque to hold them in there from falling out. Another guy I worked with was notorious for overtorquing lug nuts, he would run the impact on each nut for like 5 seconds, and he had a BIG real gun too.

the flyin' scotsman

Its highly possible someone else had this fitting loose for a reason but didn't have the correct size wrenches to properly tighten...........they very large metric 30 and 32mm IIRC.

Separate the hose from the fitting clean it all up then while counter holding A screw in and tighten B then screw on C and tighten counter by B

Mrmerlin

after you remove the oil line,
Slide the collar nut back and take some fine grit paper and surface the rear edge of the line where the cap nut pushes it,
this is where the line is galled.
after this clean the line then add some anti seize to the seat on the inner surface of the nut and the threads of the adapter fitting.
Oh and from the looks of the tings you should remove the cooler lines and have new hose crimped on, these look rather original

mikeb7

Success. Thanks, all.

17prospective buyer

2:28 Boom goes the dynamite.

AO

That was hilariously painful!